1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an accessory for lavatories that provide for the ventilation a toilet bowl by means of a fan which draws offensive odors from the toilet bowl and exhausted the odors to the outside of the home or building in which the accessory is installed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flush toilets use water to dispose of human waste through a drain pipe into a sewer system. Exhausting malodorous air from a toilet is typically done using a ceiling-mounted fan. However, this is inefficient as the malodorous air must be drawn upwardly from the toilet to the fan on the ceiling. In recognition of this problem, a number of ventilated toilets have been developed for evacuating malodorous air in a more efficient manner. Generally, there are three types of ventilated toilets. A first type of ventilated toilet uses a filter or air scrubber to deodorize the malodorous air. The main disadvantages of this first type of ventilated toilet is that the filter or scrubber must be regularly replaced and that the deodorization effect may be ineffectual. A second type of ventilated toilet draws the malodorous air into the drain pipe and sewer. However, this can lead to back pressure especially in a septic system. Furthermore, if air is forced through the drain pipe and into the sewer, there would be no p-trap; as a consequence, there is no way to ensure that there is no back-drafting of sewage water. A third type of ventilated toilet uses a ventilation conduit as an interface between the water tank and the toilet bowl to exhaust the malodorous air from the toilet. The present invention is an improvement on this third type of ventilated toilets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,255 to Drummond discloses a suction housing that is interposed between the water tank and toilet in a load-bearing relation. The suction housing is of cuboid shape having top, bottom and side walls respectively. The walls are sealingly secured together at the edges defining there between a closed chamber within. The rear wall supports an air duct that is in fluid communications with a fan that operates to draw air from the suction housing to the outside. The upper wall is provided with a tapered opening centrally thereof and bottom wall is provided with another opening of about the same size and in registry therewith. A frustoconically shaped duct has its larger diameter end sealingly secured at the perimeter to the annular edge of the top opening. The duct extends through the closed chamber and the bottom opening and slightly beyond resulting in a clearance between the exterior of the duct and the lower opening thereby providing for an annular intake port. When the fan is actuated offensive odors are drawn from the clearance into the suction housing through the air duct positioned in the rear wall and from there to the outside. However, the Drummond suction housing, being flat, does not allow for water that has entered the suction housing to drain as a result water pools within the suction housing. A problem that is further compounded if the toilet is not set exactly upright. Standing water allows bacteria and mold to develop creating the constant presence of unwanted odors from such sources and failing building codes in most if not all jurisdictions. Moreover, with the suction housing being as large as the base of the water tank, there is considerable volume of air to draw from requiring a larger fan. Finally, the air duct positioned at the rear wall of the suction housing is at a fixed position which is problematic if a wall stud is present behind the toilet as additional plumbing will be required to route the exhaust away from the wall stud.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,276 to Martens discloses a vent adapter that is installed in a water tank with certain structural modification to its interior. The first structural modification is that the water tank has a floor upon which water stored in the tank rests and a second floor below the first which is in contact with the toilet and attaches to the toilet in the same manner as industry standard water tanks. The second structural modification is the presence of a venting channel that allows for the movement of air from the enclosure between the two floors at the base of the water tank to an exhaust port at the top of the water tank. The enclosure between the two floors and the venting channel is sealed to prevent the entry of water that is stored in the water tank. The vent adapter is positioned between the two floors and is in registry communications with the flush valve above the first floor and the lower water discharge opening within second floor. The vent adapter confines to a great degree the passage of water during flushing operations to the space defined by the vent adapter while apertures about the circumference of the vent adapter allow for the movement of air between the vent adapter and the enclosure between the two floors. When water is not being flushed from the water tank into the toilet bowl a fan in fluid communications with the exhaust port at the top of the water tank draws air from the venting channel, in turn the venting channel draws air from the enclosure between the two floors, in turn the enclosure draws air from the apertures about the circumference of the vent adapter, in turn the vent adapter draws air from the water discharge portals about the rim of the bowl. However, the Martens disclosure requires, at time of retrofit, the replacement of the industry standard water tank with a water tank containing the certain structural modifications as described above adding a significant amount of cost to retrofitting of an existing toilet. In addition, any water escaping through the apertures about the circumference of the vent adapter and into the enclosure between the two floors remains within the enclosure as there are no means to encourage the water back through the apertures and into the vent adapter. This problem is further compounded if the toilet is not set exactly upright. Standing water allows bacteria and mold to develop creating the constant presence of unwanted odors from such sources and failing building codes in most if not all jurisdictions. Another problem is that the exhaust port positioned at the rear wall of the water tank is at a fixed position which is problematic if a wall stud is present behind the toilet as additional plumbing will be required to route the exhaust away from the wall stud.
U.S. patent publication 2009/0126089 to Smith discloses a tubular vent collar placed between the water tank and the bowl portions of a toilet that is secured by elongated bolts that attach the toilet tank to the toilet base. The vent collar is comprised of three separate components: an external housing tubular in shape with upper and lower openings of a smaller diameter than of the housing itself and a ventilation port on its circumference; a tubular baffle that fits through the housing's upper opening and meets the housing's lower opening thereby sealing the housing's upper and lower opening the baffle containing a plurality of openings about its circumference and allowing for the passage of water from the water tank to the bowl during flushing operations; and an adapter that sealingly threads into housing's ventilation port to provide a means for a remote fan to be in fluid communication with the ventilation port. As the baffle is of a smaller diameter than the housing there exists a gap between the baffle's exterior diameter and the housing's interior diameter. When water is not being flushed the fan may draw air from the water discharge ports about the rim of the bowl through the plurality of openings about the baffle's circumference and out through the housing's ventilation port to a discharge point directed to by the fan. Unlike the Martens disclosure the Smith disclosure may utilize the existing water tank when retrofitting a toilet however the shafts of the elongated bolts are exposed giving an unfinished look when the retrofit is complete and extra care will need to be taken when mounting the water tank to ensure that it is level as over tightening of one mounting bolt will cause the water tank to lean. The vent collar, being comprised of multiple components increases the cost of and the amount of time required to install the vent collar. Most troubling is that the gap between the base of the water tank and the top of the bowl created by the vent collar is difficult to clean leaving dust, residue from cleaners, and perhaps urine from males with an unsteady urine stream to collect creating the constant presence of unwanted odors from such sources and failing building codes in most if not all jurisdictions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,424,752 to Antoniou discloses a gas removal device positioned between the toilet's water tank and bowl with gaskets forming appropriate seals between the gas removal device's lower surface and the bowl and the gas removal device's upper surface and the water tank. Like the Smith disclosure the existing water tank may be used when retrofitting the toilet with the Antoniou disclosure thereby requiring elongated bolts be used to fasten the water tank to the bowl with the gas removal device in between. The gas removal device defines an enclosed space within a shape that is generally elliptical with a longitudinal axis of symmetry when observed from above or below and rectangular when observed from the front, left, right, or rear sides. At the rear of the gas removal device is a tubular conduit that interfaces gas removal device with the building's soil stack and inline fan positioned to draw air from gas removal device though the fan, a one-way valve, and into the soil stack. At the opposing end of the gas removal device is an aperture allowing a conduit, such as the lower opening of a flush valve, from the water tank to pass into bowl with the aperture being of a larger diameter than the conduit and the resulting gap being used to draw air from the bowl when the fan is activated. When in operation for the purpose of removing foul air the fan is activated thereby opening one-way valve to the soil stack and drawing air. There are a number of problems with the Antoniou disclosure. First is that the gas removal device, being positioned between the tank and the bowl, creates a gap between the tank and the bowl that is equivalent to the height of the gas removal device and only partially occupied by the gas removal device as the gas removal device indicated in FIG. 2 does not provide for passage of bolts used to secure the water tank to the toilet bowl. As a result, the shaft of the bolts used to secure the water tank to the toilet bowl is exposed and creates an unsightly look. Second is that cleaning the surfaces within the gap will be difficult if not impossible leaving dust, residue from cleaners, and perhaps urine from males with an unsteady urine stream. A significant problem with the gas removal device the direct path from the gas removal device to the soil stack that is only interrupted by a one-way valve which uses a flexible diaphragm to block the flow of gas from the soil stack back to the gas removal device. Failure of the flexible diaphragm to be constantly closed would result in no foul odors being drawn from the bowl. Failure of the flexible diaphragm to be constantly open would cause foul odors from the soil stack to escape into the air about the toilet; a catastrophic event indeed! Finally, care will have to be taken during installation of the gas removal device as the gas removal device comprises variable length portion 21; described as hollow, corrugated, and flexible; is structurally weak and capable of rupture as the water tank is bolted to the toilet bowl or during usage over time.
U.S. patent publication 2015/0167283 to McKibbin discloses a ventilation adapter 5 that is inserted between the tank and bowl of the toilet. The ventilation adapter 5, is a simple double conduit, or tube within a tube, with a side-arm tube as an extension of the outer conduit. The double conduit has closure and rigidity provided by the conduit-end structure between walls of the two conduits at the tank end of the ventilation adapter. The bowl end of the double conduit ventilation adapter is open to both conduits. The space between conduit walls is not of a critical dimension but is approximately 0.25″ in the preferred embodiment of the invention as represented in the figures. The side-arm tube, being of one to two inches in diameter, is in fluid communication with an air-flow pump that will draw air from the space between the conduit walls to an appropriate outside destination. When the air-flow pump is activated foul air rising within the bowl is drawn into the flush apertures the exist about the rim of the bowl, towards the rear of the toilet where the flush hole exists, through the space between the conduit walls of the ventilation adapter, into the side-arm tube, and finally through the air-flow pump where the foul air is them exhausted to an appropriate outside destination. Although the ventilation adapter is a simple device and thereby low cost, its usage creates a gap between the water tank and the bowl. As a result, the shaft of the bolts used to secure the water tank to the toilet bowl is exposed and creates an unsightly look. Second is that cleaning the surfaces within the gap will be difficult if not impossible leaving dust, residue from cleaners, and perhaps urine from males with an unsteady urine stream. In addition, sealing the ventilation adapter is difficult as the conduit-end structure between walls of the two conduits at the tank end of the ventilation adapter is to form a gasket seal with the bottom of the water tank by the bearing action of the water tank without guides to prevent movement by the gasket during installation while the opposite seal between the ventilation adapter and the bowl also exhibits the same problem and is compounded by the fact that only the rim of the outer conduit wall is used in forming a sealing connection with the bowl. Finally, the entire weight of the water tank on the bowl is only supported by the outer conduit wall of the ventilation adapter. Defects in the material comprising the outer conduit wall of the ventilation adapter; deterioration of the outer conduit wall over time or by contact with urine; improper assembly techniques may cause the outer conduit wall to fail thus causing damage to the toilet or harm to a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,505,123 to Kennendy et al. discloses an adapter disposed between the toilet's bowl and water tank so that the water tank and bowl remain operatively connected and water from the water tank can be discharged into the bowl to flush out the bowl in the usual manner. The adapter is structurally designed to support the water tank and is wide enough so that the mounting bolts attaching the water tank to the bowl pass through the adapter. The adapter includes a water conduit or passageway defining a drain that is in fluid communication with an upright pipe that extends into the water tank; the drain and upright pipe together forming a flush valve that is integrated into the adapter. During flush operations a flapper above the flush valve opens to allow water held by the water tank to pass through the drain and into the bowl by means of the apertures about the rim of the bowl. The adapter further includes an air exhaust pipe that is in fluid communications at one end with the drain and beyond with the apertures about the rim of the bowl and at the opposing end with a fan such that when the fan is activated air within the drain is drawn through the air exhaust pipe, and out to an appropriate outside destination. To evacuate any foul air within the bowl the fan is activated drawing foul air from within the bowl through the apertures about the rim of the bowl and into the drain where the foul air is prevented from entering the water tank as the flapper is close and must therefore pass through the air exhaust pipe and through the fan and out to an appropriate outside destination. Although the adapter solves some of the problems of prior adapters in that it has the strength to support the water tank with its internal design of lattice like structural support and it is of sufficient width to enclose the elongated blots necessary to mount the water tank to the bowl it is costly to mold and manufacture due to its lattice like structure it does have its problems. The adapter is costly due to the difficulty of manufacturing such a device with an internal lattice structure and that it includes components that already exists within the water tank. The exhaust is positioned at the rear wall of the adapter and is at a fixed position which is problematic if a wall stud is present behind the toilet as additional plumbing will be required to route the exhaust away from the wall stud. Finally, the adapter, while enclosing the elongated blots necessary to mount the water tank to the bowl, does nothing to add to the overall esthetic look of the toilet nor add any additional functionality other than venting to the toilet.
The prior an, while all disclosing a means of drawing foul air from the bowl by making dual use of the flush vents about the rim of the bowl in that when water is not being ejected from the flush vents that foul air from within the bowl may be draw into the flush vents following the same path as was taken by the water but in reverse up to the point where the water tank and bowl meet. There the foul air is intercepted and exhausted to some appropriate outside destination. However, the prior art have problems that must be overcome. Gaps between the water tank and the bowl is unsightly and difficult to clean allowing for dust, debris, bodily waste, and other unwanted materials to collect. When retrofitting the toilet with prior art devices components already in use must be discarded and replace with components included in the prior art leading to additional costs. Other prior art devices that fit between the water tank and bowl are designed to be flexible decreasing the structural integrity of the mount between the water tank and bowl. A number of prior an devices make use of internal structural components to ensure the integrity of the mount between the water tank and bowl resulting in increased manufacturing cost. All of the prior art devices required variations in design and manufacturing in order to be adapted to varying diameter of flush valves used by toilets that are being retrofitted. Finally, all of the prior art devices only accomplish the goal of removing foul air from the vicinity of the toilet to an appropriate outside destination and other needs such as lighting are left untouched.